But the one she most wanted to thank was Sister Yue.
She knew very clearly in her heart that if it weren't for the Emperor's deep love for Sister Yue and his concern for Sister Yue's feelings, she would have surely fallen into the clutches tonight.
Her entire life would have been ruined.
So she clung tightly to Jiang Xinyue, as if a drowning person had grabbed a lifesaving piece of driftwood, unwilling to let go.
She kept crying, crying so much that Jiang Xinyue was at a loss, only able to look at Xuanwu Emperor for help.
The Emperor snorted coldly, glanced at her sideways, and decided to walk away.
Wasn't it because this weak-willed cousin didn't trust him? Wasn't it because she was worried about her cousin?
Let her suffer on her own!
With the Emperor's departure, all the attendants in the private room followed suit, leaving in a rush. Since they were at a brothel, it wasn't good for a lady's reputation, so Jiang Xinyue didn't bring Xi Que and Shuang Jiang with her. She had followed Shen Zhou'an and a group of men into the place.
Wang Dequan saw through the Emperor's feigned indifference and stepped forward to say to Jiang Yuncai, "Miss Jiang, let's leave quickly. Something is about to happen here, and if you don't leave now, you won't be able to get out."
The impending event was related to Thrid Lord Qu.
The Emperor had brought Jiang Yuncai and the concubine of a corrupt official who had recently fallen from grace in Qin Province to the brothel, swapping them with Jiang Yuncai.
The concubine was the most favored by the corrupt official and had helped him hide many ledgers. The Emperor's men had already found the ledgers but publicly claimed they hadn't, all to make the officials on the ledgers let their guard down.
At the crucial moment, they could be arrested all at once.
But Xuanwu Emperor was a man of deep schemes. It wasn't necessarily to eradicate all the corrupt officials. He might also keep the ledgers secret to threaten those ministers into serving him.
Corrupt officials and honest officials were not so simply judged.
The saying "too clear water has no fish" was something everyone understood.
Some honest officials had great ambitions but never made mistakes. The Emperor couldn't tolerate such a person, so he needed corrupt officials to fabricate false charges to frame the honest ones, allowing the Emperor to take action.
In short, Qu Tianzhong had run into the Emperor's crosshairs this time.
As for Minister Pei of the Privy Council, who orchestrated all this, Jiang Xinyue speculated that the Emperor was using a ruse of war.
By attributing everything to Minister Pei, the Emperor aimed to make the Duke of Cheng think that Minister Pei orchestrated this out of jealousy that the Qu family's amnesty token could protect the Duke's Mansion forever.
"Ah——"
As Jiang Xinyue and her group just exited Yihong Tower, a shrill scream came from the back courtyard.
Xuanwu Emperor signaled with two fingers, and a large group of soldiers rushed into Yihong Tower.
Screams, curses, and the chaotic sounds of people running filled the air. Some quick-witted individuals had already escaped.
Seeing so many people outside, they mistook Jiang Xinyue and the others for onlookers and joined the crowd to watch.
"What happened? Why did so many soldiers suddenly rush in?"
"Could Yihong Tower be harboring some fugitive? That scene was terrifying."
"Maybe it's related to the distressed young lady of the official family tonight? I always thought official ladies were sent to the Office of Music and Dance, how could they end up in a brothel? There must be something going on."
Jiang Xinyue protected Jiang Yuncai, and the two of them got into the carriage together. Shuang Jiang and Xi Que immediately surrounded them: "Miss Jiang, our Lady was worried you might be injured, so she had me bring the medicine box in advance. Where does it hurt? Let me apply the medicine for you. Don't worry, I was once injured, and the medic treated me three times a day. I won't hurt you."
Jiang Yuncai's tears, which she had just managed to hold back, flowed again because of Xi Que's concern.
She extended her hands: "My fingers, they pricked my fingers, wuuu..."
Crying, she lifted her clothes to reveal her back full of blisters: "And my back... they burned me with candles, if you had come a little later, I wouldn't have made it, wuuu..."
The physical and mental torment made her unable to bear the humiliation. Although there was no actual violation, just having her clothes torn open, leaving only her undergarment, and having several men burn her back with candles, was already a great humiliation for her.
If not for her firm belief that her family would come to save her, she would have bitten her tongue to death.
She was also afraid that if she died in such an unclear manner in the brothel, it would affect the reputation of her other sisters at home. Every moment of waiting here was excruciating.
Shuang Jiang quickly comforted her: "Once bandaged, it will be fine. The Lady has already sealed the news, no one dares to gossip. Miss Jiang, please relax."
This could only temporarily console Jiang Yuncai. With so many people at the clothing store that day, how could it be kept secret?
At most, it would not spread further.
Jiang Yuncai sniffed, timidly looking at Jiang Xinyue and tentatively asked, "Sister Yue, I think I saw you arguing with the Emperor just now, was it because of me?"
"No..."
Jiang Xinyue shook her head: "Don't think too much."
The Emperor was angry not because he wanted to save Jiang Yuncai, but because Jiang Xinyue didn't trust him at all.
It seemed he had realized that Jiang Xinyue had never opened her heart to him.
If she had never trusted him, then what were those beautiful memories from the past?
What truly angered him was this.
Jiang Xinyue had a good point: when her true nature was exposed, she quickly admitted her mistake. The Emperor's anger couldn't be allowed to last overnight. If it wasn't soothed, and he distanced himself from her, it would be over.
But now he was busy with official duties, and she had a frightened Jiang Yuncai to take care of. They needed to get her back quickly.
Otherwise, the rumors would spread even worse.
"Cousin, stop crying and act as if nothing happened. Go back happily and don't let anyone know you were rescued from Yihong Tower."
Of the three ministers who went today, only Shen Zhou'an had seen Jiang Yuncai in person. The Grand Judge and the newly appointed Governor of Qin Province hadn't met her.
The shopkeeper's confession was far away, and they didn't hear clearly. Jiang Xinyue only said she might be in Yihong Tower, not definitely.
Just say she wasn't found.
The ladies and young ladies at the palace have been warned not to speak out of turn. Jiang Xinyue could fabricate an excuse to bring her cousin back, and who would dare to question it?
If anyone speaks out of turn, they will be charged with insubordination and disrespect, and see how many lives they have to challenge the Emperor's favorite concubine?
The carriage turned around and left before the crowd gathered. The Emperor watched the departing carriage, feeling a pang of bitterness in his heart.
In her heart, was there anything more important than him?
Heartbroken!
Truly heartbroken!
"Your Majesty, don't think too much. The Imperial Noble Consort does have you in her heart. As an outsider, I can see clearly. The Imperial Noble Consort was just anxious and concerned. If she didn't trust you, why would she wait with you? She must have been planning to take action herself, room by room, to search."
The Imperial Noble Consort was never one to wait passively. She was decisive, vengeful, and most of all, prone to madness!
If the Emperor hadn't come, she would have stormed from the front hall to the back courtyard long ago.
